This Is a Chaotic Age, Not the Era When Spirit Hall Still Existed!

Just as Ye Guyi was left dazed and shaken, sinking into confusion and self-doubt under Li Changqing's almost cruelly realistic words, Ye Wanqing spoke.

Looking at the boy before her, she said softly, "Child, my daughter and I will remember your kindness deeply. But... regarding what you just told Guyi—about saving people, sacrifice, and whether it is worth it... I have a somewhat different view."

Li Changqing did not seem surprised. He merely asked calmly, "Oh? What insights does Auntie have? This junior is all ears."

Ye Wanqing took a deep breath. Though her body was weak, her eyes remained clear and composed, carrying the steadfastness of someone who had weathered life without abandoning her original convictions. "I would not call them insights."

"I simply believe that, as bearers of the sacred Angel martial soul, the mission to protect and purify flows through our blood."

"When we see the weak suffering and evil running rampant, if we stand by because we weigh the gains and losses or fear for our own safety, then what meaning do this bloodline and this power have?"

"I do not believe my own life is any more noble than the lives of those innocent villagers."

"That is why my daughter and I have never chosen to join any faction. Instead, we have traveled this continent alone, taking it upon ourselves to eradicate evil soul masters and protect ordinary people."

"As the saying goes, the greater the power, the greater the responsibility. This is our choice, and it is also our path."

Her voice was not loud, yet every word was clear, carrying an unquestionable conviction.

Li Changqing listened quietly.

Only after Ye Wanqing had finished did the corner of his mouth twitch slightly, revealing a smile whose meaning was impossible to tell—whether it was admiration or something else.

"This junior greatly admires Auntie's character and convictions."

He first offered his affirmation, but then his tone shifted. "I imagine the common people you have helped would also be sincerely grateful, and fervently hope that this world has more people like you."

Ye Wanqing nodded slightly, believing Li Changqing had been persuaded by her.

But his next words made the gentleness on her face stiffen faintly.

"But is this truly appropriate? Auntie, it seems you have overlooked one premise."

Li Changqing's gaze sharpened, and his tone grew more solemn. "This era can fairly be called a chaotic age."

"The evil soul master forces led by the Holy Spirit Cult are becoming ever more rampant, wreaking havoc everywhere."

"The Sun Moon Empire is watching like a tiger, brimming with ambition, while undercurrents surge across the continent."

"I ask you: if you and your daughter truly perished here today, then in the future, how many people whom you might have saved would continue to die at the hands of evil soul masters?"

"How many villages and towns would become ghostly domains because no one remained to restrain them?"

Watching Ye Wanqing's expression change slightly, he continued, "Why was Qian Yuhan, the first Angel God, able to break past her limits in the form of a Six-Winged Angel and ultimately ascend to the Divine Realm tens of thousands of years ago?"

"Beyond her own peerless talent, the most important reason was that the Six-Winged Angel martial soul possessed an almost fundamental, deadly restraint over evil soul masters!"

"She did not act rashly on mere hot-blooded passion. During her growth, she continuously accumulated strength and united like-minded companions. Only then was she able to sweep away the foulness and restore clarity to the world for a time."

"If she had acted as Auntie does today, disregarding the disparity between friend and foe, ignoring the long term, and repeatedly risking her life based solely on righteous indignation, do you think she could have made it to the end, attained godhood, and purged an era of evil?"

At those words, not only did Ye Guyi freeze again, but even Ye Wanqing fell silent.

Her lips moved as she wanted to refute him, yet she found that Li Changqing's words were like a heavy hammer striking the very foundation of the beliefs she had always clung to.

Naturally, she knew the legend of the Angel God, but she had always regarded it more as a myth and an example to emulate.

No one had ever so bluntly and sharply placed the priority between survival and duty before them.

Li Changqing showed no intention of stopping. His voice sounded especially clear in the silent cave. "If this junior were an ordinary person—especially one living under the threat of evil soul masters—I would naturally be endlessly grateful and wish there were more people in this world as virtuous and selfless as Auntie. But if we step beyond a single moment and place, and consider the continent's long-term future, then what you are doing is not only unwise. It is even... somewhat foolish."

He did not mince words when he said "foolish," causing Ye Guyi to frown and Ye Wanqing's body to tremble almost imperceptibly.

"Because once there is no longer anyone in this world bearing the sacred Angel martial soul, someone capable of effectively restraining evil soul masters, then the rampage of evil soul masters will know no restraint!"

"As I just said, if this were a peaceful age with few evils, and you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save others, that would mean your personal character was beyond reproach and worthy of admiration."

"But now, this is a chaotic age!"

"It is no longer the era from ten thousand years ago, when Spirit Hall still existed and order remained!"

Li Changqing's gaze swept over Ye Wanqing before finally settling on Ye Guyi's complicated expression.

His tone then softened somewhat as he reminded her, "For the sake of our chance encounter today, I will offer you one piece of advice: in an age like this, your life is very important."

"Only by staying alive, gaining strength, and continuing to grow can you bring hope to more people and truly fulfill your mission of protection and purification."

"Rather than acting as you did today, charging in rashly with nothing but hot blood, in what was practically a suicidal attempt."

"If you do not cherish your own life, you should at least think of your daughter, shouldn't you?"

He paused, his meaningful gaze lingering on Ye Guyi for a moment as though hinting at something, before he slowly said, "Besides, if I am not mistaken, then in this world today, the inheritors of the pure sacred Angel bloodline are probably... only the two of you."

Although there were other possessors of Angel martial souls on the continent, compared to Ye Guyi, they were utterly insignificant.

Because once this girl reached the rank of Titled Douluo, she could even evolve her martial soul into Twelve Wings.

She was a monster among monsters.

After Li Changqing finished speaking, Ye Guyi abruptly raised her head and met his eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through everything.

That gaze was calm and unruffled, yet it sent a violent tremor through her heart.

She recalled the family stories her mother mentioned from time to time.

She recalled those records of decline.

She recalled that, in this vast world, it truly seemed as though only she and her mother remained, relying on one another as they carried on this increasingly thin bloodline and mission.

An unprecedented sense of heaviness silently settled upon her shoulders.

Ye Wanqing's face grew several shades paler, though it was not due to her injuries.

Li Changqing's words were like a cold scalpel, cutting open the reality she had always refused to examine too deeply.

Her lips parted, but in the end, she could not say anything.

She merely let out a long, bitter sigh and slowly closed her eyes, as though all the strength had been drained from her in an instant.